Tim Tebow is one of my favorite athletes of all time. A winner, great teammate, and an excellent memorabilia seller. Recently, Tim joined the New York Mets minor league organization to try and make it in baseball. Of course, fans have flocked to minor league ballparks to get his autograph. I have seen everything from baseballs in sharpies, Mets batting helmets, and also jerseys. But is Tebow a good investment for baseball items? Let’s explore.

Tebow has a very small chance to make the major leagues, if any. So his Mets items have about a good of chance h0lding value as his New York Jets items do. The minute he stops playing baseball, most of his baseball items will tank with the potential exception of signed baseballs. Why baseballs? Baseballs are one of those funny, odd collectibles that athletes from other sports often sign. Ever seen a baseball signed by a President? Usually very expensive. So with that being said, we all know Tebow is super popular, so what do you get on him? Florida, Florida, Florida all day.

Being a Heisman Trophy winner, 2 x SEC player of the year, and a 2 x BCS National Champion as a member of the Florida Gators, those items will almost never drop in value and are highly sought after by collectors. In fact, his Florida jersey is one of the best sellers of all time.

So remember, as tempting as it is to pick up something baseball related, stick to the Florida items. Even if you are not a Florida fan, they hold their value very well and are always on collector’s wish lists.

Powers Autographs was started by me, Matt Powers as a way for sports autograph and celebrity memorabilia enthusiasts and collectors to have a high-quality product available at affordable pricing. You deal directly with me when ordering anything from my company, so I ensure you get the best quality service and personal care you deserve. Let me be YOUR sports memorabilia guy!

Pricing is one of the hottest topics among sports collectors. I agree, pricing is very important when it comes to collecting autographs and everyone has different budgets, but it isn’t everything. Yes, when comparing apples to apples on a product you should more often than not buy the cheaper item. However, let’s take a look at some other factors you should consider before buying that item.

1.) Customer service: Does the company you are buying from have a phone number you can contact them if you have questions? Seeing just a conversion form on a website is a big red flag. Do they have a return policy? Do they take time to answer your questions and get back to you in a timely manner?

2.) Shipping: You guys know how I feel about shipping. It should be free all day every day. One of my biggest issues with some sales is a company charging $500 for an item and then a $4.99 shipping charge. Huh? Now granted $5 isn’t that big of a deal, but it is the principal of it.

3.) Quality: Most of the time you pay extra for quality. An officially licensed jersey, a sweet custom framing job, an item with supreme authentication. Let’s say you are looking for a signed jersey of an athlete. Officially licensed quality jersey is $200, but a custom no name brand jersey is $125. Most people might just go for the custom, but take a look at the quality jersey. For an extra $75 you can get the real deal. Let’s say you own the jersey for 25 years. That’s only $3/year extra for the jersey you really want.

4.) Authentication: Of course you can always buy an item with no COA for cheaper than one certed. I always tell customers to buy an item already certed, it will save you the time and cost of getting it done yourself and the piece of mind knowing that someone else has authenticated the signature. Also, if an item is 3rd party authenticated, but a similar item 1st party authenticated is slightly more, go for that one. In the long run, your item will be worth more.

5.) Paying for an item: Every company in my opinion should take PayPal. Makes it super easy for you the customer and you don’t have to share your information. I take PayPal and it is my preferred payment method. So easy to print shipping labels. Also, when paying for an item, try and make sure you have the cash to pay for it. Collecting autographs should be a fun hobby, but not put a strain on your finances. Avoid layaways and putting orders on credit cards. You will feel SO MUCH better about your purchase in the long run.

Powers Autographs was started by me, Matt Powers as a way for sports autograph and celebrity memorabilia enthusiasts and collectors to have a high-quality product available at affordable pricing. You deal directly with me when ordering anything from my company, so I ensure you get the best quality service and personal care you deserve. Let me be YOUR sports memorabilia guy!

Like we say every year, it’s almost that time, the Holidays. Every time it seems like some of us agonize over what to get that sports autograph collector in our family. Let me help you out. Here are my Top 10 2016 holiday sports autographs gift ideas.

10.) CUSTOM FRAMING – Now is the time to get that jersey or photo finally framed. Around this time of year Michael’s and Hobby Lobby generally run some great sales. Jersey framing, depending on the features you choose, should run you around $200-$300. Custom photo framing around $50-$75. Just remember to add UV glass to any order you do so your signatures do not fade over time. I can also help assist in this area too.

9.) COREY SEAGER – Probable 2016 NL Rookie of the Year winner and future of the Dodgers organization. Seager has a relatively affordable autograph. So if buying for a Dodgers fan, he is THE guy to get this year.

8.) ICHIRO – Recent addition to the 3,000 Hit Club. Future Hall of Fame selection. Ichiro is a superstar in Japan and a highly sought after autograph.

7.) MICHAEL PHELPS – Winner of 1 million Olympic gold medals. The most decorated Olympian of all time. If you have a family member that enjoyed watching the 2016 Olympics every day, this is your gift idea.

5.) 2016 NBA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES (SHAQ, IVERSON, YAO). These newest members are some of the most influential basketball players of our time and HUGE fan favorites. Lakers, 76ers, Rockets fans, these are YOUR GUYS!

4.) CLEVELAND CAVALIERS CHAMPIONSHIP ITEMS – LeBron still hasn’t signed since the championship, but that’s OK. Framed newspapers and Kyrie Irving items are available and much more affordable.

3.) DAVID ORTIZ – Red Sox superstar, 3 x World Series Champion, and future Hall of Fame inductee is retiring this year. I would say he is one of the hottest baseball autographs of the 2016 season.

2.) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (CURRY AND DURANT) – This is going to be the most interesting team to watch all season. Everyone is expecting them to win the title. With two superstars in Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, Warriors memorabilia and buzz is going to be off the charts! Don’t forget about Klay Thompson.

1.) CHICAGO CUBS MEMORABILIA – I say this with the assumption they win the 2016 World Series. Check out my previous post on gambling on Cubs autographs. Of course, Cubs fans will flock to buy anything Cubs related should they win. The average collector who is not a Cubs fan is also going to want a piece of the action too. The Cubs haven’t won a World Series since 1908, which would make all Cubs memorabilia and players like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Jake Arrieta autographs go through the roof if they do.

Powers Autographs was started by me, Matt Powers as a way for sports autograph and celebrity memorabilia enthusiasts and collectors to have a high-quality product available at affordable pricing. You deal directly with me when ordering anything from my company, so I ensure you get the best quality service and personal care you deserve. Let me be YOUR sports memorabilia guy!

The Cubs haven’t won a World Series since 1908. They ended the 2016 season with the best record in baseball. Of course, that doesn’t mean they will win the World Series. But let’s be a gambling man and say they do win it. Autographs for them will EXPLODE! Let me repeat, autographs from the 2016 Chicago Cubs will EXPLODE in value.

So what does that mean right now, before the playoffs have even started? Well, you better start picking up your Kris Bryant, Jake Arrieta, and Anthony Rizzo autographs right now! Given who represents some of them, you can bet the pricing of their autographs is going to be pushed as a high as possible. The resell value of those players if the Cubs win will always be very high. I can see Bryant signed MLB balls getting to $400!

Just imagine the frenzy among not just Cubs fans, but also collectors? The inscription possibilities are endless. 2016 WS CHAMPS, 1st WS TITLE SINCE 1908, and BILLY GOAT IS DEAD are some ideas. There will be a rush for Cubs autographs and memorabilia that will surpass even the Red Sox 2004 World Series win.

So my suggestion if you are a gambling man, pick up as many Bryant, Rizzo, and Arrieta MLB balls and 8×10 photos at cheap prices right now. Going to have to be PSA or JSA authenticated to get those prices. Then, hold onto them for the playoff ride.

Best case scenario, Cubs win, and you can cash in on the biggest sports memorabilia rush in recent history. Worst case, they lose, but you have some cheap, quality autographs of some very young and talented all-stars who will surely make another run at the World Series very soon.

Powers Autographs was started by me, Matt Powers as a way for sports autograph and celebrity memorabilia enthusiasts and collectors to have a high-quality product available at affordable pricing. You deal directly with me when ordering anything from my company, so I ensure you get the best quality service and personal care you deserve. Let me be YOUR sports memorabilia guy!

So you finally made the decision to start an autograph collection. Great! Now what? How do you get started? What do you collect? Here are 5 tips to help.

1.) Start with a small budget and stick to it. No need to get crazy right off the bat. Picking up an autograph or two a month is a good pace to start off at. Remember, this is a journey, and collections are not made in one day, month, or year.

2.) Small items are gold. First part of your collection should be items like signed baseballs, mini helmets, 8×10 photos, etc.. Smaller items you can easily store. Then, once you have a good idea of who you like to collect, branch out into bigger items like jerseys.

3.) If you don’t get excited about an item within the first 5 seconds of seeing it, do not buy it. At this point in your collecting, you shouldn’t have to sell yourself on an item since you haven’t collected anything yet.

4.) Pick up cheap frames at Hobby Lobby or Michael’s if you choose to collect photos at the start. No sense investing in expensive custom framing jobs at this point. Heck, you can even get plastic photo sleeves to store them in if you are not ready to display the items yet.

5.) Share your collection. Nothing better than seeing other people get excited about your collection and vice versa. Great way to keep you interested in collecting and get new ideas.

Powers Autographs was started by Matt Powers as a way for sports autograph and celebrity memorabilia enthusiasts and collectors to have a high-quality product available at affordable pricing. Having been in the business since 2004, he noticed there wasn’t a website available that included not only signed sports memorabilia and celebrity autographs, but also high quality custom framing and autograph display cases for everything from autographed baseballs to signed guitars, and more.

Every so often I get asked, who do you want to win game “X?” My answer is generally always the same, which ever team is best for business. I grew up a Warriors fan living in the Bay Area, so naturally, I would want to them win a long over due NBA title. But this got me thinking, from an autograph business perspective and on a nationwide scale, who would I rather see win, Cavs or Warriors? Let’s break down each player and their autograph value.

LeBron James bringing back an NBA title (heck any professional championship) would be HUGE for Cleveland area sports shops. Shirts and hats would sell very well. But I am more concerned about the autographs (items I sell most of). Yes, LeBron’s autograph would have a huge jump right after the NBA Finals is over (assuming he does a signing with Upper Deck – his exclusive memorabilia provider.

But there are a couple issues that will hinder LeBron’s autograph selling well. 1.) Price – jerseys and basketballs are going to be close to if not over $1,000. Huge chunk of change to drop on an autograph for the average collector. 2.) Availability – Upper Deck wholesales to just a few distributors, so only a lucky few will get their hands on his Cavs post Finals items. That means pricing will be higher (companies that sell Upper Deck items generally have huge overheard) and items will be scarce. Companies like Fanatics will certainly cash in, but smaller internet based companies like myself will not.

Matthew Dellavedova will be an interesting name to watch. He will certainly be doing some autograph signings should the Cavs win the NBA title. Exclusive deal with Fanatics most likely. Autograph would be fairly affordable ($50-$75 range). But outside of Cleveland, is he a seller? I’m not so sure. There certainly will be a big uptick in his memorabilia right after the Finals, but with a quick fall off after that. Just like Malcolm Butler and the Super Bowl interception.

Kyrie Irving would definitely be a great seller. Good price point, huge fan following. But his injury may prevent him from selling as well as memorabilia dealers would have liked. He is a Panini exclusive, so pricing will be fairly high, but like Upper Deck, they do manufacture some fantastic products.

One of the most interesting characteristics of the Warriors is they are based in the Bay Area. A fairly wealthy area. Just like when the San Francisco Giants won the World Series, Warriors autographed memorabilia will sell extremely well and fast.

Stephen Curry Signed Photo

Stephen Curry‘s signings in the Bay Area have lines that are sometimes 8 hours long. His appeal though is much bigger than the Bay Area. Under Armour has done a fantastic job promoting his brand. Fans connect with him unlike any other player currently playing. Winning the MVP award will push that level even higher. His autograph price is going up (around $500 for a jersey). Now that he can inscribe 2015 NBA MVP, fans will want his autograph even more.

Klay Thompson has an exclusive memorabilia deal with Fanatics. However, his pricing has remained rather affordable (around $100 an autograph). Huge fan following in the Bay Area. Also, he and Curry are known as the “Splash Brothers,” so dual signed items of them will be extremely popular.

CONCLUSION

While LeBron is certainly one of the most popular players in any sport, his autograph price and availability will hinder Cavs items being a great seller. The Bay Area wealth and connection/popularity of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will push the Warriors autographs above the Cavs. The Warriors are the team memorabilia dealers should be pushing for to win the NBA Finals.

We all get frustrated by the increase pricing of autographs. That ONE autograph we need is now out of our budget! Since baseball season is almost upon is it got me thinking. What are the 5 baseball autographs of current players that are expensive, but shouldn’t be. By “shouldn’t be” I mean the collector market currently is not there for that players autograph to be that expensive.

5.) Yasiel Puig – I get it, he had a few tremendous months one year and everyone in LA fell in love with him. But looking at his stats and what he has accomplished, his autograph should be less than $150. I remember signed jerseys were selling for $700 last year!

4.) Miguel Cabrera – Yes he is a Triple Crown winner, but commanding $200-$300 per autograph is a bit high for me. I would like to see him in the $100-$150 range.

3.) Mike Trout – It seems every time I go to the refrigerator his price is going up. Yes, he is in very HIGH demand. Fans love him, he has accomplished so much is such a young career. I remember when his signed baseballs were $50! $150-$200 is a good range for him. Right now you are seeing baseballs with inscriptions as much as $500. For the average fan, that may be just a bit too much.

Mike Trout Signed Photo

2.) Ichiro Suzuki – I have never understood the fascination with him. He has one of the sloppiest autographs and baseballs routinely are $300, jerseys $500 +. Yes, he is a future Hall of Famer, but has always been a tough sell. Same as with Cabrera, $100-$150 autograph would be ideal.

Ichiro Signed Baseball

1.) Albert Pujols – Ever since he left St Louis he has been one tough autograph to sell. Numbers are down, hasn’t won any World Series titles since. Bats and jerseys routinely are $500 +. A players autograph almost never “comes down” due to a player reducing their rates. Unfortunately, I see many collectors and dealers having to sit on his items until he wins another World Series or becomes a Hall of Famer. Just isn’t much of a market right now.

Powers Autographs was started by Matt Powers as a way for sports autograph and celebrity memorabilia enthusiasts and collectors to have a high-quality product available at affordable pricing. Having been in the business since 2004, he noticed there wasn’t a website available that included not only signed sports memorabilia and celebrity autographs, but also high quality custom framing and autograph display cases for everything from autographed baseballs to signed guitars, and more.

Often I get asked, “What is the best authentication (COA) for an autograph to come with?” That depends on the athlete and sport. For example, a Derek Jeter autograph you would want Steiner Sports COA, a Michael Jordan autographed an Upper Deck COA, etc. I have always been a big fan of having online databases where you can verify an autograph, such as MLB’s or TRISTAR’s. Keep in mind, some companies do few signings in a particular sport, for example UDA does very few baseball signings, so that affects the list as well. PSA/DNA ITP I personally think is preferred by more collectors that a JSA witness, so they will rank ahead of them. However, both are equally great. Each PSA/DNA ITP and JSA witness COA means the autograph was witnessed by a representative from PSA or JSA. So here are Top 5 preferred COAs by sport. Just going to rank the Top 3 most popular, baseball, basketball, and football.

Baseball:

1.) MLB Authentication

2.) Steiner Sports

3.) PSA/DNA ITP

4.) JSA Witness

5.) TRISTAR

MLB authentication is most preferred for any baseball autograph, especially game used items. These autographs are witnessed by a representative from MLB and each unique hologram # is verified on their website, stating the item and date it was signed. Steiner does so many baseball signings they are a great one also.

Basketball:

1.) UDA

2.) Steiner Sports

3.) PANINI

4.) PSA/DNA ITP

5.) JSA Witness

UDA represents LeBron and Jordan, so those COAs are very popular. Steiner does a good amount of signings with basketball stars like Carmelo Anthony. PANINI represents Durant and Kobe.

Football:

Steiner Sports

Mounted Memories

PSA/DNA ITP

JSA Witness

TRISTAR

Steiner represents Eli and Peyton Manning and does a ton of signings with NY Giants and other football legends. Mounted Memories also does a ton of football related signings. PSA and JSA are high on this list simply because they are present to witness a great deal of football signings at the public shows, so their COA comes on a ton of football items. TRISTAR is on this list because of the signings they do but also because they represent Tom Brady.

So you have found that perfect autographed collectible online you want to purchase. You have done your research, know the item is authentic and exactly what you want. Here are 5 tips to help your transaction go smoothly.

#1 – Make sure the company you are buying from has a good reputation. You can check feedback, online reviews, etc… Make sure they have a phone number, address, and an email address so you can get a hold of them in case you have a question/issue. Nothing worse than seeing a website with just an email address or conversion page and trying to get a hold of them that way.

# 2 – Get everything in writing. When placing order online you should get a receipt emailed to you that states the item, date you bought it, where it is shipping to, and what the item is. If placing the order over the phone, ask that a receipt be emailed to you. This will ensure everyone is on the same page with what item is being ordered and where it is shipping to.

#3 – Buy it with a credit card or with PayPal. This will allow you some recourse to get your money back in case the seller is unwilling to work with you or as a last resort. Remember to check your credit card terms on how long they give you to do a chargeback. PayPal is normally 45 days. Never pay by check or money order.

#4 – If the item is over $250, ask that a signature required be added to the shipment. Nothing worse than having an expensive item sit on your front porch while you are not home.

#5 – Make sure your item is sent with tracking. Yes, this is pretty much a given nowadays, but you would be surprised. UPS, FedEx, USPS, all offer tracking and a signature required.

Powers Autographs was started by Matt Powers as a way for sports autograph and celebrity memorabilia enthusiasts and collectors to have a high-quality product available at affordable pricing. Having been in the business since 2004, he noticed there wasn’t a website available that included not only signed sports memorabilia and celebrity autographs, but also high quality custom framing and autograph display cases for everything from autographed baseballs to signed guitars, and more.

Every now and then we stop collecting autographs, for whatever reason. Don’t have the space, nothing of interest has come onto the market, finances, etc… Here are 4 tips to help get you out of a rut and enjoy collecting again.

#1 – Sell or trade pieces no longer of interest. Maybe that autograph you picked up when you were 21, no longer has the same meaning to you at 31. Sell it, or even better trading it with a fellow collector for an item you do want. Remember, collecting is all about enjoying the pieces and the moments they represent.

#2 – Try collecting a different sport. I get it, not all Americans are into hockey. But you would be surprised the amount of history and well known names this sport has produced. Maybe a Bobby Orr or Wayne Gretzky autograph?

#4 – Have an item personalized or inscribed. Yes, having an item personalized will devalue the item for re-sell. However, getting a baseball or photo of you and your favorite athlete “To Mike, Keep the Collection Going,” may just be some inspiration you need. Having a baseball inscribed WS CHAMPS by Buster Posey or another one of your favorite players who has won a World Series, might be the item to get you turnaround.

Powers Autographs was started by Matt Powers as a way for sports autograph and celebrity memorabilia enthusiasts and collectors to have a high-quality product available at affordable pricing. Having been in the business since 2004, he noticed there wasn’t a website available that included not only signed sports memorabilia and celebrity autographs, but also high quality custom framing and autograph display cases for everything from autographed baseballs to signed guitars, and more.